How can we stop the rampant smoking in Job Corps? Does it work to limit smoking, or is smoke free the only way to go?

The mention of transitioning to a smoke-free center can elevate blood pressure and turn friends into foes. Many staff and students want the clean air and healthy environment associated with a smoke-free center. Many others will fight the transition to the bitter end. Will one solution ever make everyone happy?

Centers have found degrees of success with multiple solutions. Center staff interviewed for this article represent successful smoke-free centers, centers who have had a less-than-easy transition, centers who have drastically limited smoking, and centers who have been smoke-free but now allow smoking.

Why go smoke-free?  Centers cited similar reasons for wanting to reduce or eliminate smoking. Naturally, health and employability reasons topped the charts. Other center staff became frustrated with students and staff who did not adhere to smoking in designated smoking areas or during certain times of the day. They decided that they could not curtail smoking, they would eliminate it. City, county, and state governments have passed smoking bans in businesses and restaurants. Job Corps centers in these locales have sometimes followed suit.

Where to begin… All centers that have been successful in limiting or eliminating smoking spent a good deal of time in the preparation phases. Many began with a smoke-free staff, and then moved on to students. In preparation, committees were formed to figure out how to tackle this problem. Many centers included students, admissions counselors, safety, health and wellness, human resources, and center leadership, including the Center Director, on these committees. Committees included both smokers and non-smokers to ensure that both parties had a voice. Committee members decided on strategies to gradually phase out smoking. Most started by targeting minors and staff, and reduced the locations and/or times during the day when students were allowed to smoke. Sanctions were implemented or increased for those breaking the rules.

At all successful smoke-free centers, leadership provided assistance to students and staff to stop smoking prior to implementing a no-smoking policy. Staff encouraged students to participate in the TUPP program, and some centers supplied students with nicotine replacements (gum, patches, etc.). Often, the TUPP program was given a little extra money to provide incentives and activities to keep students from smoking. Most often, staff members have been given a stipend and resources to get help quitting at an off-center location.

Non-smoking centers solicited help from a variety of outside resources. Federal, state, and local organizations such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Cancer Society (ACS), and local anti-tobacco programs and health departments offer programs and “quitlines” at low or no cost. Some state and local agencies also offer small grants to help eliminate smoking.

Spreading the word. Successful smoke-free centers have communicated a clear and concise message about the policy. This initiative will not work if staff does not communicate and uniformly enforce the no-smoking policy.

The no-smoking message needs to be communicated early and often. Admissions counselors should be up front about the policy and penalties for breaking the smoking policy and other center rules before students arrive on center. It is helpful if the TUPP coordinator conducts pre-arrival calls as well.

Centers interviewed for this article used various means to commutate the harms of smoking to students and to gain buy-in for becoming a smoke-free center. Speakers, such as a throat cancer survivor used at one center, will often deliver presentations at little or no cost. Centers sponsored poster contests for students to promote a smoke-free lifestyle. Centers also had events and parties celebrating the countdown to become smoke-free. The student government association has been a successful means to communicate the process to students.

What hasn’t worked? In polling centers about what has and has not worked, a few common problems have been repeated. First, staff must not be allowed to smoke on center if students are expected to be smoke free. If staff can smoke, students of legal age will complain that the policy is unfair, as it is legal for them to smoke as well. In addition, staff should also not be allowed to take advantage of loopholes in the policy, e.g., at some centers, staff have been permitted to smoke in their cars or would leave center and return smelling of smoke.

Some staff interviewed for this article reported that not all staff enforce sanctions against smoking. It is important that all staff are aware of the policies and are willing to enforce sanctions.

Finally, smoking sometimes replaces other addictions. When smoking is restricted, be ready to address issues with other tobacco products and drugs, or mental health issues. Centers who have not addressed these problems beforehand have become overwhelmed.

How is it going?  A few centers have been smoke-free for many years and have ironed out all of the difficulties associated with the initial transition. This process took time and patience, but the end results were positive. The majority of centers that decided to be smoke free reported that they are not truly “smoke free,” especially during the initial transition. However, there seems to be less smoking and a sense of harm reduction. Students and staff smoke less or not at all while on center and many actually quit. If smoking is contraband, it seems that less non-smoking students begin smoking.

Of course, all centers that have gone smoke-free haven’t had a 100 percent compliance rate and a problem-free transition. Students on all centers have tried to sneak cigarettes, have left center to smoke, or have smoked on center grounds when staff is not nearby. Some centers have found it difficult to work with students who come from smoking families or families that condone smoking. Some centers have had OBS issues, but the centers who communicate the policies up-front have been more successful.

Most centers reported that certain students are continuously on restriction because they cannot quit. One center reported that since their progressive sanctions for restricting smoking end in student separation, some strong students who cannot quit risk separation from Job Corps.

Occasionally, centers have found that banning smoking produced unforeseen negative effects e.g., at one center, students would leave center and smoke on a busy street corner near a residential neighborhood. This bothered local residents and caused a possible safety hazard. This center decided to lift the smoking ban and create a small designated smoking area on a remote section of the property. Students who smoke will venture to this area, but few non-smoking students make the trek.

Advice from smoke-free centers.  Staff interviewed for this article provide the following advice:

• Deliver a consistent message. Ensure that sanctions are enforced uniformly.
• Ensure that staff serve as role models.
• Work hard to get buy-in from staff and students.
• The Center Director needs to be a strong leader.
• Different people need different motivation to quit smoking. A “one-size-fits-all” model will not work.
• Ensure that non-residential students are not smuggling in cigarettes.
• Work hard to prohibit alcohol consumption, since alcohol and cigarettes go so closely together.
• Make sure you have well-defined, tough sanctions.

In summary, centers that have been most successful curtailing smoking have:

• Included staff and students in the decision-making process.
• Provided ample notice about the new policies and penalties for breaking these policies.
• Used community resources.
• Helped students AND staff quit smoking.
• Worked to get support and buy-in for the new policies.